Close protection refresher: required to renew from April 2026

Published 5 November 2026

Door supervisors and security guards have needed a refresher qualification to renew since April 2025. From 1 April 2026, the same applies to close protection operatives.

What’s required?

To renew a close protection licence, you must hold:

• your full licence-linked close protection qualification, and
• the Level 2 Award for Close Protection Operatives in the Private Security Industry (Refresher)

First aid comes first

Before you can take the refresher, you need a level 3 first aid qualification, such as First Aid at Work (FAW) or an accepted equivalent. It must be valid for at least 12 months, and you’ll need to show it to your training provider when you register.

That’s a higher level than the Emergency First Aid at Work needed by door supervisors and security guards.

How long is the refresher?

The SIA says the close protection refresher is 2.5 to 4.5 days of in-person training, depending on self-study. That doesn’t include first aid.

You’ll also need ACT Awareness and ACT Security certificates from the last year.

Switching to door supervision

If you hold a close protection licence, the SIA says you can choose to take the door supervisor refresher training and switch to a door supervisor licence instead.

Training in Bootle, north Liverpool

Our training centre is at St Mary’s Complex, Waverley Street, Bootle L20 4AP, in north Liverpool. By train, take a Merseyrail Northern Line train towards Southport to Bootle New Strand, about an 8-minute walk from us, or Bootle Oriel Road, about a 12-minute walk. There’s free on-site parking if you drive. We run First Aid at Work, the Door Supervisor refresher and more. Get in touch about close protection.

Sources

• GOV.UK: Changes to the training you need for an SIA licence (updated 17 September 2026)
• GOV.UK: Renew your SIA licence
• GOV.UK: Changes to SIA licence-linked training: your questions answered